Para Anchors

[Garygee]

Hi everyone.

Does any one carry a para anchor ?.

I know Alan may have had one on the Spirit os Cardif but does any one else carry one or have any info on them.

The reason for asking is I have been given a drogue parachute from a fighter aircraft which I think looks about the right size etc for use as a sea para anchor.

It is about 4 foot diameter with 24 x 5 or 6mm dia nylon cords down to a 25mm steel eye. The material is a light nylon type canvas. Much heavier then ripstop nylon !.

I hope if its good to slow down a plane at 100(s) of mile an hour it should be strong enough.

Does it sound the right size, does it compair strength wise to a commerical para anchor ?.

I intend to try if once I get my new RIB but any feedback, comments or advise would be welcome.


All the Best Gary

[Manos]

Hi, I lways carry what I call a floating anchor (similar to what you deacribe but made from different material). However, the size/dimentions, length of rope, strength of rope etcr should be specific and to your boat, weight when fully laden, LOA etc. I sugget that you better check with a specialist. However, from what I know

It usually slows the boat's rate of drift in 15mph winds and up
32" is for 16-22 ft. boats
46" is for boats over 22 ft

rope length for my boat (7 mtrs, 900 kgs fully laden) and for the Aegean Sea wather conditions I have about 40 mtrs rope.

[Daniel]

'para anchor' is a new term to me, but yes i do carry what i know as a 'sea anchor'.

SoC only had a sea anchor, which in fact caused problems when they were asked to 'anchor' whilst waiting for port clearance 'coz they had to circle round - using fuel! (look who read the book - do i get bonus marks AP???)

Never used it, but for the space it takes up in the anchor locker my thinking is it seams like a good idea - if i lost the engine, main anchor etc. etc. in a big sea then i think it would work in keeping the boat the right way up whilst i await rescue.

My investigations (about 9 months ago) revealed three sized available, with the smallest being spec'ed up to about a 7m boat, which was a similar size to one i bought 2nd hand at a boat jumble!

Hope that helps

Daniel

[Manos]

Daniel,

In my limited knowledge and experience I do not think that one should deploy a sea anchor at a harbour entrace. To deploy a sea anchor although it may sound easy is not. Is quite tricky at times and needs some kind of skill to do it i.e. rope should be free, in bad weather conditons you should make sure that the three strands holding the anchor are not tangled up, you shjould deploy it at the right moment taking into consideration the wave hight and wind, ALWAYS deploy it from the bow N E V E R aft etc etc.
I also think a floating anchor is a very good idea and will keep you safe. I always carry one

[crazyhorse]

A sea/Para anchore is a must In my book although I believe Alan doesnt use his much as the boat rides out a storm at a good angle to wind and waves.

It keeps the bow into the weather and is also used by the rnli inshore craft when going astern,the stretch in the rope will alow you to reverse onto a object/Rock and if you need to power off from The rock haveing reversed to it with your sea anchore out and your engine gives up at a critical moment, the stretch on the line will pull the boat clear.And therefore forward out of harms way.I believe this is only used in rescue situations.

Crazyhorse

[Brian]

Hot Dog !!
So that's what it does?
I have one-but hadn't a clue as to what it did or from which end of the boat to deploy it !

Thanks AGAIN Mr. rib.net

[Daniel]

Originally posted by Manos
I do not think that one should deploy a sea anchor at a harbour entrace.

Nor do i Manos - do you mean harbour entrance or is this a relative term - i.e you think you should not deploy close to shore (by close i guess i mean within sight).

Surely, given waves which threaten to spin the RIB beam-on, if either depth does not permit conventional anchor or it's lost the sea anchor is a good idea what ever the situation?

Daniel

[wavelength]

got one on the humber - cheap enough takes up no room (in fact used for padding round main anchor) use it on courses to show what is available and how they work. Never needed one in anger though. Remember it is not a substitute for an anchor as far as safety gear goes for mere mortals in coastal waters where if you cant make the boat go you will doubtless need to make it stop before it makes its way out to sea or onto the rocks carried by tide/wind etc. Bit different in open ocean where the bottom is an awful long way away

[Daniel]

Dave,

Since you have deployed one, could we have a short description of how please?

What length of line have you used?

Manos suggests this is more diffacult than streaming it off the bow on, say, 25m line as i had thought?

Daniel

[Manos]

I actually mean harbour entrace i.e. the pilot zone of any harbour/port unless there is a threat to life. But then again one should inform the harbour/port office and pilots and take permission about their actions. If they take permission they should advise, position, drifiting from/to, length of rope etc in case a rescue operation is needed or another ship/craft wants to enter the harbour.
I think for the obvious reasons is not safe to delploy a floting (sea) anchor where other shiping is about.
Usually one deploys a sea anchor in the middle of the ocean (sea) not near to shore.
This is because in bad weather conditions (I mean BAAAD weather) going nearer to shore will make matters even worst (higher braking waves, rocks to deal with etc) than being out in the open sea. If the craft/ship drifts nearer to shore then is better to call the rescue services (never abandon the boat is the safest place to be in bad weather - unless is near to sinking ofcourse)
There are many factors making a sea anchor a useful tool and many factors making a sea anchor a dangerous item.
In my humble opinion before one tries to deploy a sea anchor one should study the matter and have some trial runs in moderate seas (I did any way) to see how the anchor behaves in the water, what happens with the rope, how steady the boat becomes and how the anchor actually works. The same should be done with all safety gear (life rafts, lifejackets etc) and trial runs from time to time with the people who regularly go onboard should be done to make sure that they know where their place is and where things are in case of an emmergency (you always brief people when they come onboard any way where all the emmergency gear is i.e. flares, life jackets, 1st aid etc).
I undrstand that people may think that this is a bit too much but I believe that in a critical situation there is no margin for error, any actions taken must be quick, positive and correct and as they say 'practice makes perfect'.

[Garygee]

Just to make sure, are some of us talking about a drouge which you deploy at the sterm of the boat to steady and slow down the boat while under power say approching a bar or area of confused sea or a sea anhor which is deployed from the bow to keep the boat head to wind/waves and ride out a storm ?.

I think we are mixing up sea anchors and droges here

Regards Gary

[wavelength]

Daniel
We simply let the boat settle down sideways on to the wind as we sort the bits out and then unshackle the anchor warp from the chain and refix to the sea anchor. Lower it over bow with a couple of feet of slack and then pay rope out as the boat drifts off away from it. The boat swings head on to the wind (a bit) as the tension is taken up. Its not so big ours and the effect is not great but then again we are not in winds that would do it justice as we usually deploy it during the coffee break on a level 2 if we are out in clear enough sea with room to drift and no boats to trip over the seventy feet or so of rope that we deploy. Normally we tilt the engine first in case we make a b******s of it so that it cannot foul the engine leg.
No substitute for an anchor of course.
Freshwater trout fishermen use a drogue/sea anchor tethered amidships to slow the drift down and keep it side on whilst fly fishing.
If you search on the net under sea anchor there is a NZ site that shows them being used in the southern oceans by trawlers so that the crew can get a good nights sleep with the boat lying head on to the sea. They use a tripping line to retrieve the HUGE sea anchors that they use. On our little (relatively)thing we have never bothered with a tripping line-just more cordage to tangle up- and we can get it back ok if we either motor up to it or drag it back steadily by hand.
I thought that one little boats sea anchor would be another bigger boats drogue?.
Dave M